Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
|---|
| reassortment between divergent strains of camp ripley virus (hantaviridae) in the northern short-tailed shrew (blarina brevicauda). | genomic reassortment of segmented rna virus strains is an important evolutionary mechanism that can generate novel viruses with profound effects on human and animal health, such as the h1n1 influenza pandemic in 2009 arising from reassortment of two swine influenza viruses. reassortment is not restricted to influenza virus and has been shown to occur in members of the order bunyavirales. the majority of reassortment events occurs between closely related lineages purportedly due to molecular cons ... | 2020 | 33014888 |
| a comprehensive multi-omic approach reveals a relatively simple venom in a diet generalist, the northern short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda. | animals that use venom to feed on a wide diversity of prey may evolve a complex mixture of toxins to target a variety of physiological processes and prey-defense mechanisms. blarina brevicauda, the northern short-tailed shrew, is one of few venomous mammals, and is also known to eat evolutionarily divergent prey. despite their complex diet, earlier proteomic and transcriptomic studies of this shrew's venom have only identified two venom proteins. here, we investigated with comprehensive molecula ... | 2020 | 32520994 |
| who are you, griselda? a replacement name for a new genus of the asiatic short-tailed shrews (mammalia, eulipotyphla, soricidae): molecular and morphological analyses with the discussion of tribal affinities. | the first genetic study of the holotype of the gansu short-tailed shrew, blarinella griselda thomas, 1912, is presented. the mitochondrial analysis demonstrated that the type specimen of b. griselda is close to several recently collected specimens from southern gansu, northern sichuan and shaanxi, which are highly distinct from the two species of asiatic short-tailed shrews of southern sichuan, yunnan, and vietnam, b. quadraticauda and b. wardi. our analysis of four nuclear genes supported the p ... | 2019 | 31754323 |
| protocol for the reconstruction of micromammals from fossils. two case studies: the skulls of beremendia fissidens and dolinasorex glyphodon. | we have developed a protocol for reconstructing 3d models of the skulls of extinct species of small mammals. for the first time, the reconstruction uses fragments of fossils from a mixture of different specimens and from related extant species. we use free software and commercial computers to make the process reproducible and usable for the scientific community. we present a semi-quantitative protocol to face the problem of making 3d reconstructions of fossil species that are incomplete in the f ... | 2019 | 30893322 |
| the pineal gland of the shrew (blarina brevicauda and blarina carolinensis): a light and electron microscopic study of pinealocytes. | the pineal gland structure and ultrastructure in the northern (blarina brevicauda) and southern short-tailed shrew (blarina carolinensis) are described by light and electron microscopy. results observed were similar to other mammals of insectivora described previously, specifically, the hedgehog (erinaceus europaeus) and the old world mole (talpa europea). two different types of pinealocytes were noticed by electron microscopy, in addition to relatively few glial cells. granular vesicles were no ... | 2018 | 30088080 |
| a new genus of asiatic short-tailed shrew (soricidae, eulipotyphla) based on molecular and morphological comparisons. | blarinellini is a tribe of soricine shrews comprised of nine fossil genera and one extant genus. blarinelline shrews were once widely distributed throughout eurasia and north america, though only members of the asiatic short-tailed shrew genus blarinella currently persist (mostly in southwestern china and adjacent areas). only three forms of blarinella have been recognized as either species or subspecies. however, recent molecular studies indicated a strikingly deep divergence within the genus, ... | 2018 | 29976842 |
| sex-based differences in anti-predator response of crickets to chemical cues of a mammalian predator. | anti-predator behaviors like vigilance or hiding come at the expense of other fitness increasing behaviors such as foraging. to compensate for this trade-off, prey assess predation risk and modify the frequency of anti-predator behaviors according to the likelihood of the threat. in this study, we tested the ability of house crickets (acheta domesticus) to indirectly assess predation risk via odors from a mammalian predator, elliot's short-tailed shrew (blarina hylophaga). as natural differences ... | 2018 | 29910976 |
| evaluation of the physiological activity of venom from the eurasian water shrewneomys fodiens. | animal toxins can have medical and therapeutic applications. principally, toxins produced by insects, arachnids, snakes and frogs have been characterized. venomous mammals are rare, and their venoms have not been comprehensively investigated. among shrews, only the venom ofblarina brevicaudahas been analysed so far, and blarina toxin has been proven to be its main toxic component. it is assumed thatneomys fodiensemploys its venom to hunt larger prey. however, the toxic profile, properties and mo ... | 2017 | 29026428 |
| unexpectedly high genetic diversity of the asiatic short-tailed shrews blarinella (mammalia, lipotyphla, soricidae). | genetic diversity of the genus blarinella was studied using one mitochondrial and four nuclear genes as examples. the first genotyping of shrews from the southeast of gansu province (china), which is a typical habitat of b. griselda, has been performed. molecular genetic analysis showed that blarinella sp. from southern gansu stand apart among the other representatives of the genus and can be assigned to neither of the known species. | 2017 | 28702725 |
| a new eimerian (apicomplexa: eimeriidae) from southern short-tailed shrews, blarina carolinensis (bachman) (soricimorpha: soricidae: soricinae) from southeastern oklahoma, usa. | a new species of eimeria schneider, 1875 (apicomplexa: eimeriidae) is described from faecal samples of two of three southern short-tailed shrews, blarina carolinensis (bachman) (soricidae) from southeastern oklahoma, usa. oöcysts of eimeria tkachi n. sp. are subspheroidal to ovoidal with a rough-pitted, tan colored, bi-layered wall, measure 16.5 × 15.2 µm, and have a length/width (l/w) ratio of 1.1; both micropyle and oöcyst residuum are absent, but polar granule(s) are present. sporocysts are o ... | 2017 | 28534208 |
| the crouching of the shrew: mechanical consequences of limb posture in small mammals. | an important trend in the early evolution of mammals was the shift from a sprawling stance, whereby the legs are held in a more abducted position, to a parasagittal one, in which the legs extend more downward. after that transition, many mammals shifted from a crouching stance to a more upright one. it is hypothesized that one consequence of these transitions was a decrease in the total mechanical power required for locomotion, because side-to-side accelerations of the body have become smaller, ... | 2016 | 27413633 |
| a synopsis of records of myxozoan parasites (cnidaria: myxozoa) from shrews, with additional data on soricimyxum fegati from common shrew sorex araneus in hungary and pygmy shrew sorex minutus in slovakia. | myxozoans (cnidaria: myxozoa) are almost exclusively endoparasites of aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates, with the notable exception being two species of soricimyxum prunescu, prunescu, pucek et lom, 2007 described from terrestrial shrews (soricidae) in central europe. myxospores of the two parasites are morphologically indistinguishable, but have ssu rdna sequences that differ by about 4%. herein, we report additional molecular and histology data from soricimyxum fegati prunescu, prunescu, p ... | 2016 | 27312127 |
| quantifying dilution and amplification in a community of hosts for tick-borne pathogens. | recent controversy over whether biodiversity reduces disease risk (dilution effect) has focused on the ecology of lyme disease, a tick-borne zoonosis. a criticism of the dilution effect is that increasing host species richness might amplify disease risk, assuming that total host abundance, and therefore feeding opportunities for ticks, increase with species richness. in contrast, a dilution effect is expected when poor quality hosts for ticks and pathogens (dilution hosts) divert tick blood meal ... | 2016 | 27209790 |
| ecological risk assessment for mink and short-tailed shrew exposed to pcbs, dioxins, and furans in the housatonic river area. | a probabilistic risk assessment was conducted to characterize risks to a representative piscivorous mammal (mink, mustela vison) and a representative carnivorous mammal (short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda) exposed to pcbs, dioxins, and furans in the housatonic river area downstream of the general electric (ge) facility in pittsfield, massachusetts. contaminant exposure was estimated using a probabilistic total daily intake model and parameterized using life history information of each specie ... | 2016 | 25976918 |
| the complete mitogenome of asiatic short-tailed shrew blarinella quadraticauda (soricidae). | the asiatic short-tailed shrew, blarinella quadraticauda, is an endemic shrew to china, and is only distributed in sichuan. in this study, the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of b. quadraticauda was determined. the mitogenome is 17,014 base pairs in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal rna genes, 22 transfer rna genes and 1 control region, with a base composition of 33.3 % a, 31.8% t, 22.3% c and 12.6% g. this study contributes to illuminating taxonomic status of the a ... | 2016 | 24660918 |
| structural and functional characterization of enamel pigmentation in shrews. | pigmented tooth enamel occurs in several vertebrate clades, ranging from mammals to fish. although an iron compound is associated with this orange to red colored pigmentation, its chemical and structural organization within the enamel is unknown. to determine the nature of the iron compound, we investigated heavily pigmented teeth of the northern short-tailed shrew blarina brevicauda using combined characterization techniques such as scanning and transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron ... | 2014 | 24556576 |
| food chain transfer and potential renal toxicity of mercury to small mammals at a contaminated terrestrial field site. | mercury concentrations were determined in surface soil and biota at a contaminated terrestrial field site and were used to calculate transfer coefficients of mercury through various compartments of the ecosystem based on trophic relationships. mercury concentrations in all compartments (soil, vegetation, invertebrates, and small mammals) were higher than mercury concentrations in corresponding samples at local reference sites. nonetheless, mercury concentrations in biota did not exceed concentra ... | 1993 | 24201735 |
| detection of clostridium difficile in small and medium-sized wild mammals in southern ontario, canada. | we sampled 325 small and medium-sized wild mammals in ontario, canada in 2007 and 2010 to determine the prevalence and characteristics of clostridium difficile in wild mammals living in proximity to captive wildlife and livestock. clostridium difficile was isolated from five of 109 animals (4.6%) on four of 25 farms (16%), but was not isolated from any of the 216 samples from raccoons (procyon lotor) living on the grounds of the toronto zoo. the positive animals included two raccoons from one be ... | 2013 | 23568920 |
| in vivo detection of human trpv6-rich tumors with anti-cancer peptides derived from soricidin. | soricidin is a 54-amino acid peptide found in the paralytic venom of the northern short-tailed shrew (blarina brevicauda) and has been found to inhibit the transient receptor potential of vallinoid type 6 (trpv6) calcium channels. we report that two shorter peptides, sor-c13 and sor-c27, derived from the c-terminus of soricidin, are high-affinity antagonists of human trpv6 channels that are up-regulated in a number of cancers. herein, we report molecular imaging methods that demonstrate the in v ... | 2013 | 23554944 |
| risk assessment of land-applied biosolids-borne triclocarban (tcc). | triclocarban (tcc) is monitored under the usepa high production volume (hpv) chemical program and is predominantly used as the active ingredient in select antibacterial bar soaps and other personal care products. the compound commonly occurs at parts-per-million concentrations in processed wastewater treatment residuals (i.e. biosolids), which are frequently land-applied as fertilizers and soil conditioners. human and ecological risk assessment parameters measured by the authors in previous stud ... | 2013 | 23183124 |
| reservoir competence of wildlife host species for babesia microti. | human babesiosis is an increasing health concern in the northeastern united states, where the causal agent, babesia microti, is spread through the bite of infected ixodes scapularis ticks. we sampled 10 mammal and 4 bird species within a vertebrate host community in southeastern new york to quantify reservoir competence (mean percentage of ticks infected by an individual host) using real-time pcr. we found reservoir competence levels >17% in white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus), raccoons (pro ... | 2012 | 23171673 |
| effects of disturbance on small mammal community structure in the new jersey pinelands, usa. | we compared small mammal community composition among undisturbed habitats and habitats disturbed by military operations on warren grove gunnery range (wgr) in the new jersey pinelands. wgr is one of the largest tracts of protected land within this globally rare ecosystem. disturbance in the form of fire, mowing, soil disruption and logging has had a large effect on small mammal occurrence and distribution. of the 14 small mammal species that occur in the pinelands, 9 live on wgr, including large ... | 2012 | 22405445 |
| Molting success of Ixodes scapularis varies among individual blood meal hosts and species. | The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) is an important vector of emerging human pathogens. It has three blood-feeding stages, as follows: larva, nymph, and adult. Owing to inefficient transovarial transmission, at least for the Lyme disease agent (Borrelia burgdorferi), larval ticks rarely hatch infected, but they can acquire infection during their larval blood meal. Nymphal ticks are primarily responsible for transmitting pathogens to hosts, including humans. The transition from uninfected ho ... | 2011 | 21845946 |
| a new nematode, longistriata caudabullata, n. sp. (nematoda: vianaiinae), from the short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda. | 1946 | 21026154 | |
| brief comparison of short-tailed shrew and reptile poisons. | 1945 | 21014225 | |
| scent glands of the short-tailed shrew. | 1946 | 20981899 | |
| the placentation of the american shrews, blarina brevicauda and sorex fumeus. | 1947 | 20296012 | |
| chemical cytology of the placenta of two north american shrews (blarina brevicauda and sorex fumeus). | 1947 | 20260755 | |
| myonyssus jamesoni, a new liponyssid mite (acarina: laelaptidae) from blarina brevicauda (say). | 1947 | 20256991 | |
| the sense of smell in the short-tailed shrew. | 1947 | 20245731 | |
| muscle aging and oxidative stress in wild-caught shrews. | red-toothed shrews (soricidae, subfamily soricinae) are an intriguing model system to examine the free-radical theory of aging in wild mammals, given their short (<18months) lifespan and high mass-specific metabolic rates. as muscle performance underlies both foraging ability and predator avoidance, any age-related decline should be detrimental to fitness and survival. muscle samples of water shrews (sorex palustris) and sympatrically distributed short-tailed shrews (blarina brevicauda) were the ... | 2010 | 20109576 |
| convergent evolution of novel protein function in shrew and lizard venom. | how do proteins evolve novel functions? to address this question, we are studying the evolution of a mammalian toxin, the serine protease bltx [1], from the salivary glands of the north american shrew blarina brevicauda. here, we examine the molecular changes responsible for promoting bltx toxicity. first, we show that regulatory loops surrounding the bltx active site have evolved adaptively via acquisition of small insertions and subsequent accelerated sequence evolution. second, these mutation ... | 2009 | 19879144 |
| analysis of intraindividual and intraspecific variation in semicircular canal dimensions using high-resolution x-ray computed tomography. | the semicircular canal system tracks head rotation and provides sensory input for the reflexive stabilization of gaze and posture. the purpose of this study was to investigate the intraspecific and intraindividual variation in the size of the three semicircular canals. the right and left temporal bones were extracted from 31 individuals of the short-tailed shrew (blarina brevicauda) and scanned on a high-resolution x-ray computed tomography system. the radius of curvature was calculated for each ... | 2009 | 19619167 |
| muscle senescence in short-lived wild mammals, the soricine shrews blarina brevicauda and sorex palustris. | red-toothed (soricine) shrews are consummate predators exhibiting the highest energy turnovers and shortest life spans (ca. 18 months) of any mammal, yet virtually nothing is known regarding their physiological aging. we assessed the emerging pattern of skeletal muscle senescence (contractile/connective tissue components) in sympatric species, the semi-aquatic water shrew (ws), sorex palustris, and the terrestrial short-tailed shrew (sts), blarina brevicauda, to determine if muscle aging occurs ... | 2009 | 19296507 |
| response to enrichment, type and timing: small mammals vary in their response to a springtime cicada but not a carbohydrate pulse. | 1. masting events in the autumn provide a carbohydrate-rich pulse of resources that can influence the dynamics of small mammals and their natural enemies. similar patterns are observed with the periodical cicada emergence which provides a protein-rich pulse in the spring, but comparisons are confounded by timing and food type. 2. we compared the influence of a naturally occurring spring pulse of cicadas with an experimental spring pulse of carbohydrate-rich seeds. we used a replicated population ... | 2009 | 18684131 |
| species of coccidia (apicomplexa: eimeriidae) in shrews from alaska, u.s.a., and northeastern siberia, russia, with description of two new species. | fecal samples (n = 636) from 10 species of shrews collected in alaska (n = 540) and northeastern siberia (n = 96) were examined for the presence of coccidia (apicomplexa: eimeriidae). five distinct oocyst morphotypes were observed. three types were consistent with oocysts of previously recognized coccidia species from other shrew hosts. these were eimeria inyoni, e. vagrantis, and isospora brevicauda, originally described from the inyo shrew (sorex tenellus), dusky shrew (s. monticolus), and nor ... | 2008 | 18576829 |
| hantavirus in northern short-tailed shrew, united states. | phylogenetic analyses, based on partial medium- and large-segment sequences, support an ancient evolutionary origin of a genetically distinct hantavirus detected by reverse transcription-pcr in tissues of northern short-tailed shrews (blarina brevicauda) captured in minnesota in august 1998. to our knowledge, this is the first evidence of hantaviruses harbored by shrews in the americas. | 2007 | 18252128 |
| lead bioaccessibility in food web intermediates and the influence on ecological risk characterization. | models simulating gastric conditions of mammalian (eastern cottontail, sylvilagus floridanus; short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda) and avian (american robin, turdus migratorius) receptors were used to investigate the proportion of lead (pb) mobilized into the digestive juices (the bioaccessible fraction) from soil, earthworms, and vegetation collected at a rifle and pistol (rp) range in eastern ontario, canada. pb concentrations averaged 5044 mg kg(-1) in rp range surface soils, 727 mg kg(-1) ... | 2007 | 17874804 |
| some observations on the food habits of the short-tailed shrew (blarina brevicauda). | 1914 | 17830253 | |
| three subcutaneous glandular areas of blarina brevicauda. | 1896 | 17771413 | |
| prevalence of cryptosporidium species in wildlife populations within a watershed landscape in southeastern new york state. | a cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of cryptosporidium in wildlife in the new york city (nyc) watershed in southeastern new york state. a total of 6227 fecal samples were collected and evaluated from 5892 mammals (38 species), 263 birds (14 species), 2 reptiles (2 species), 8 amphibians (4 species), and 62 fish (15 species). cryptosporidium was detected in 30 species. of the species found positive for cryptosporidium, 16 represented new records for this parasite-alo ... | 2007 | 17466459 |
| ecological risk assessment of lead contamination at rifle and pistol ranges using techniques to account for site characteristics. | spent ammunition at outdoor rifle and pistol (rp) firing ranges creates a characteristic pattern of contamination, whereby small areas surrounding backstop berms exhibit extremely high soil lead (pb) concentrations. we characterized sources, pathways and uncertainty in contaminant accumulation for receptors at two rp ranges in southeastern ontario. based on these results, we performed risk calculations using kriging to estimate risk across "worst-case" species foraging ranges. range-normalized h ... | 2007 | 17257653 |
| cross-species chromosome painting unveils cytogenetic signatures for the eulipotyphla and evidence for the polyphyly of insectivora. | insectivore-like animals are traditionally believed among the first eutherian mammals that have appeared on the earth. the modern insectivores are thus crucial for understanding the systematics and phylogeny of eutherian mammals as a whole. here cross-species chromosome painting, with probes derived from flow-sorted chromosomes of human, was used to delimit the homologous chromosomal segments in two soricidae species, the common shrew (sorex araneus, 2n = 20/21), and asiatic short-tailed shrew ( ... | 2006 | 16544189 |
| prevalence of bordetella bronchiseptica in certain central iowa. | bordetella bronchiseptica was isolated from 6 of 13 short-tailed shrews (blarina brevicauda) and 1 of 47 house sparrows (passer domesticus) trapped in the vicinity of a swine bordetella rhinitis experimental area. the organism was found in four of 50 foxes (vulpes fulva), 2 of 36 opossums (didelphis marsupialis) and 1 of 37 raccoons (procyon lotor) trapped in the ames, iowa area. this bacterium was not culturally isolated from 14 deer mice (peromyscus maniculatus), 64 house mice (mus musculus), ... | 1976 | 16502690 |
| toxoplasmosis: a serological survey in ontario wildlife. | sera from seven species of wild animals in ontario were examined for antibody to toxoplasma gondii using the sabin-feldman dye test. of 158 sera tested, 53% of the red foxes (vulpes vulpes), 56% of the striped skunks (mephitis mephitis), 78% of the coyotes (canis latrans), 33% of the black bears (ursus americanus), 18% of the short tailed shrews (blarina brevicauda) and none of the field voles (microtus pennsylvanicus) had antibody. antibody to t. gondii was present in sera from wild animals cap ... | 1976 | 16502687 |
| attempted isolation of blastomyces dermatitidis from native shrews in northern wisconsin, usa. | the precise ecological niche of blastomyces dermatitidis is unknown. the related dimorphic fungus, paracoccidioides brasiliensis, has been isolated from south american ground-dwelling insectivorous armadillos. we attempted to isolate blastomyces from shrews, north american ground-dwelling insectivores that have been shown to harbor histoplasma capsulatum in endemic areas. forty-seven masked shrews (sorex cinereus) and 13 northern short-tailed shrews (blarina brevicauda) were collected in endemic ... | 2005 | 16178369 |
| a risk assessment approach to dde exposure based on the case of the eastern screech-owl (megascops asio) in apple orchards of southern quebec,canada. | as part of a larger study assessing exposure of the eastern screech-owl to pesticides in apple orchards from consumption of contaminated small-mammal prey, we evaluated the potential for owls in orchards of southern quebec to be exposed to persistent contaminants with emphasis on dde. levels were highest in short-tailed shrews (0.94 to 26.29 microg/g wet wt). based on a worst-case scenario, it is possible that consumption of small-mammal prey in orchards of the study area may result in exposure ... | 2005 | 16132415 |
| maximal enzyme activities, and myoglobin and glutathione concentrations in heart, liver and skeletal muscle of the northern short-tailed shrew (blarina brevicauda; insectivora: soricidae). | we measured the enzymes of glycolysis, krebs cycle, beta-oxidation and electron transport in the heart, liver and skeletal muscle of the northern short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda. additionally, we measured the amount of myoglobin in skeletal and heart muscle as well as the concentration of glutathione in heart. the picture that emerges is of an aerobically well-endowed animal with constrained anaerobic capacity as indicated by small activities of glycolytic enzymes and creatine kinase. lip ... | 2005 | 15914053 |
| purification and characterisation of blarinasin, a new tissue kallikrein-like protease from the short-tailed shrew blarina brevicauda: comparative studies with blarina toxin. | a new tissue kallikrein-like protease, blarinasin, has been purified from the salivary glands of the short-tailed shrew blarina brevicauda. blarinasin is a 32-kda n-glycosylated protease with isoelectric values ranging between 5.3 and 5.7, and an optimum ph of 8.5 for enzyme activity. the cloned blarinasin cdna coded for a pre-pro-sequence and a mature peptide of 252 amino acids with a catalytic triad typical for serine proteases and 43.7-54.0% identity to other mammalian tissue kallikreins. bla ... | 2005 | 15843162 |
| blarina brevicauda as a biological monitor of polychlorinated biphenyls: evaluation of hepatic cytochrome p450 induction. | we assessed the value of short-tailed shrews (blarina brevicauda) as a possible biomonitor for polychlorinated biphenyl pollution through measurement of the induction of hepatic cytochrome p450 and associated enzyme activities. first, we checked the inducibility of four monooxygenases (benzyloxyresorufin-o-dealkylase [brod], ethoxyresorufin-o-dealkylase [erod], methoxyresorufin-o-dealkylase [mrod], and pentoxyresorufin-o-dealkylase [prod]) by measuring the activity of these enzymes in hepatic mi ... | 2004 | 15352474 |
| these studies were conducted to assess the effects of lead toxicity on exploratory behavior and running. effects of lead on exploratory behavior and running speed in the shrew, blarina brevicauda (insectivora). | these studies were conducted to assess the effects of lead toxicity on exploratory behavior and running speed in the short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda. shrews from the experimental group received 25 mg/kg/day of lead acetate in their drinking water for a period of 90 days. control subjects received sodium acetate. exploratory behavior was determined using a computerized activity chamber where movements of test subjects broke infrared beams projected onto the floor of the apparatus. time spe ... | 2003 | 15248655 |
| testing the free radical theory of aging in bats. | the extended longevity of bats, despite their high metabolic rates, may provide insight to patterns and mechanisms of aging. i tested the free radical theory of aging as an explanation for the extreme longevity of the little brown bat, myotis lucifugus (maximum life span potential [mlsp] = 34 years). in a comparative study, i measured whole-organism oxygen consumption and mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide production in brain, heart, and kidney tissues from m. lucifugus and short-tailed shrews, bla ... | 2004 | 15247075 |
| blarina toxin, a mammalian lethal venom from the short-tailed shrew blarina brevicauda: isolation and characterization. | venomous mammals are rare, and their venoms have not been characterized. we have purified and characterized the blarina toxin (bltx), a lethal mammalian venom with a tissue kallikrein-like activity from the submaxillary and sublingual glands of the short-tailed shrew blarina brevicauda. mice administered bltx i.p. developed irregular respiration, paralysis, and convulsions before dying. based on the amino acid sequence of purified protein, we cloned the bltx cdna. it consists of a prosequence an ... | 2004 | 15136743 |
| electron micrographs of newcastle disease virus preparation from chick embryos following infection by virus propagated in the short-tailed shrew (blarina brevicauda). | 1951 | 14911929 | |
| reduced free-radical production and extreme longevity in the little brown bat (myotis lucifugus) versus two non-flying mammals. | the extended longevity of bats, despite their high metabolic rate, may provide insight to patterns and mechanisms of aging. here i test predictions of the free radical or oxidative stress theory of aging as an explanation for differences in lifespan between the little brown bat, myotis lucifugus (maximum lifespan potential mlsp=34 years), the short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda (mlsp=2 years), and the white-footed mouse, peromyscus leucopus (mlsp=8 years) by comparing whole-organism oxygen co ... | 2004 | 14706233 |
| the development of the bronchial diverticula in blarina brevicauda and its bearing on congenital lung anomalies. | 1959 | 14430477 | |
| properties of a toxin from the salivary gland of the shrew, blarina brevicauda. | 1955 | 14392580 | |
| short-tailed shrew: new host for histoplasma capsulatum. | 1965 | 14323371 | |
| leptospira ballum infection in a shrew (blarina brevicauda brevicauda). | 1962 | 14021530 | |
| lewisi-like trypanosomes in the short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda. | 1963 | 13964453 | |
| a comparative study of certain trigeminal components in two soricid shrews, blarina brevicauda and sorex cinereus. | 1957 | 13475504 | |
| a redescription of pseudodiorchis reynoldsi (jones, 1944) (cestoda: hymenolepididae), a parasite of the short-tailed shrew. | 1957 | 13463695 | |
| a lungworm, angiostrongylus blarini, n. sp., from the short-tailed shrew, with observations on the histopathology and life cycle. | 1954 | 13212546 | |
| capillaria blarinae, n. sp. (nematoda: trichuridae) from the esophagus of the short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda (say). | 1953 | 13045178 | |
| evidence for gene flow in parasitic nematodes between two host species of shrews. | we describe the genetic structure of populations of the intestinal nematode longistriata caudabullata (trichostrongyloidea: heligmosomidae), a common parasite of short-tailed shrews (genus blarina, insectivora: soricidae). parasites and hosts were collected from a transect across a contact zone between two species of hosts, blarina brevicauda and b. hylophaga, in central north america. an 800-base pairs (bp) fragment of the nd4 mitochondrial dna (mtdna) gene was sequenced for 28 worms and a 783- ... | 2003 | 12969487 |
| demography of short-tailed shrew populations living on polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated sites. | in ecological risk assessment, a key necessity is to understand how contaminants known to have negative impact on laboratory mammals affect the population demography of mammals living in their natural environment. we examined the demography of six local populations of the short-tailed shrew (blarina brevicauda) living in eastern deciduous forest palustrine habitat along the housatonic river (ma, usa) on soils contaminated with a range of polychlorinated biphenyl (pcb) concentrations (1.5-38.3 pp ... | 2003 | 12785599 |
| phylogeography of the northern short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda (insectivora: soricidae): past fragmentation and postglacial recolonization. | blarina brevicauda is distributed across the northeastern region of north america, in areas previously covered by pleistocene glaciers. previous molecular systematic study of the species in the genus blarina suggested the presence of two distinct eastern and western phylogroups within b. brevicauda, in agreement with traditionally recognized semi-species. to expand the previous work, a collection of 76 individuals from 14 localities collected throughout the range of b. brevicauda was used to ass ... | 2003 | 12755873 |
| olfactory mucosa ultrastructure in the short-tailed shrews, blarina brevicauda and blarina carolinensis. | the olfactory mucosae of the northern short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda, and the southern short-tailed shrew, blarina carolinensis, were examined by light and electron microscopy. a well-developed olfactory epithelium was observed that included all of the cells necessary to provide for a sensitive olfactory system, suggesting that olfaction plays a major role in the behavior of these animals. there were no significant differences between the olfactory mucosae of these two species. the gener ... | 2001 | 12221510 |
| comparison of deterministic and probabilistic calculation of ecological soil screening levels. | the u.s. environmental protection agency (u.s. epa) is sponsoring development of ecological soil screening levels (eco-ssls) for terrestrial wildlife. these are intended to be used to identify chemicals of potential ecological concern at superfund sites. ecological soil screening levels represent concentrations of contaminants in soils that are believed to be protective of ecological receptors. an exposure model, based on soil- and food-ingestion rates and the relationship between the concentrat ... | 2002 | 11951965 |
| pulmonary appendix of the short-tailed shrew (blarina): a unique immunologic organ. | the right bronchus of the short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda, terminates in a nonrespiratory pulmonary appendix (pa) containing two bronchial extensions. the experimentally demonstrated ability of these structures to collect and peristaltically expel aspirated material was initially assumed to be a sufficient reason for their developmental persistence, but as bronchus associated lymphoid tissue (balt) became a subject of immunologic interest in other species, a possible immunologic role for ... | 2002 | 11870601 |
| molecular phylogeny of short-tailed shrews, blarina (insectivora: soricidae). | phylogenetic relationships among the three described species of short-tailed shrews (genus blarina) were inferred based on mitochondrial dna sequences of 16s rrna (506 bp) and cytochrome b (1137 bp) from 38 specimens representing b. brevicauda, b. hylophaga, and b. carolinensis, from across their range in north america. phylogenetic analyses of both data sets combined followed tests showing lack of incongruence between these fragments. analysis of substitution patterns indicated saturation of tr ... | 2002 | 11820838 |
| a potential model for early stages of chromosomal evolution via concentric robertsonian fans: a large area of polymorphism in southern short-tailed shrews (blarina carolinensis). | western tennessee contains unusually highly polymorphic populations of southern short-tailed shrews (blarina carolinensis). we previously documented eight robertsonian translocations (robs) accounting for a variation in diploid number from 46 in most of this species' range to 34-40 in western tennessee. we have now expanded our study to include data from adjacent areas in tennessee and mississippi, 10 localities in all. the new data show a variation in diploid number ranging from 31 to 41, four ... | 1999 | 10640807 |
| cortical organization in shrews: evidence from five species. | cortical organization was examined in five shrew species. in three species, blarina brevicauda, cryptotis parva, and sorex palustris, microelectrode recordings were made in cortex to determine the organization of sensory areas. cortical recordings were then related to flattened sections of cortex processed for cytochrome oxidase or myelin to reveal architectural borders. an additional two species (sorex cinereus and sorex longirostris) with visible cortical subdivisions based on histology alone ... | 1999 | 10397395 |
| nitroaromatic munition compounds: environmental effects and screening values. | available data on the occurrence, transport, transformation, and toxicity of eight nitroaromatic munition compounds and their degradation products, tnt, tnb, dnb, dna, 2-adnt, rdx, hmx, and tetryl were used to identify potential fate in the environment and to calculate screening benchmarks or safe environmental levels for aquatic and terrestrial organisms. results of monitoring studies revealed that some of these compounds persist at sites where they were produced or processed. most of the compo ... | 1999 | 10218448 |
| blood parasites of shrews from pennsylvania. | we examined 30 sorex cinereus, 5 sorex fumeus, and 21 blarina brevicauda collected from pennsylvania in 1995 for blood parasites. trypomastigotes of trypanosoma sp. were visible in 13% of the s. cinereus. ten percent of s. cinereus, 20% of s. fumeus, and 14% of b. brevicauda were infected with bartonella sp. (or spp.). in s. cinereus, we detected no concurrent trypanosoma and bartonella infections. | 1998 | 9920338 |
| evaluation of two oral baiting systems for wild rodents. | tetracycline hydrochloride (tc)-treated peanut butter or rodent chow baits were distributed during march 1990, on separate 0.53 ha sites in oglethorpe county, georgia (usa). rodents were trapped on a control site prior to bait distribution and on two baited sites 6 days post-distribution. cleaned skulls from euthanized mammals were grossly examined for tc fluorescence using an ultraviolet (uv) light. mandibles were sectioned and examined for tc fluorescence using an ultraviolet light microscope. ... | 1998 | 9577787 |
| a small-scale survey of hantavirus in mammals from indiana. | in order to determine if hantaviruses were present in mice and other small mammals in indiana (usa), small mammals were trapped in brown, laporte, tippecanoe and whitley counties. sixty-seven small mammals were trapped during august and september 1994. sixty-three peromyscus leucopus, one microtus pennsylvanicus, one zapus hudsonius and two blarina brevicauda were captured and tested for hantaviruses. six p. leucopus were found to have antibody to sin nombre virus (sn) by igg elisa, and a 139 bp ... | 1997 | 9391967 |
| robertsonian chromosomal rearrangements in the short-tailed shrew, blarina carolinensis, in western tennessee. | we report significant heterozygosity for numerous robertsonian translocations in the southern short-tailed shrew (blarina carolinensis) in western tennessee. eight robertsonian rearrangements were documented using g-banding techniques that explain the variability in diploid numbers from 46 throughout most of the range of the species to 34-40 in western tennessee. these fusions resulted in the loss of telomere sequences and were not associated with nucleolar organizer regions. when heterozygocity ... | 1997 | 9186509 |
| natural infection of small mammal species in minnesota with the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis. | the natural reservoirs for the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) are suspected to be the small mammals that host immature stages of ixodes scapularis ticks. to determine if such small mammals are naturally infected, we collected blood and serum samples from small mammal species in rural and suburban areas of minneapolis and st. paul, minn. samples were collected from white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus), eastern chipmunks (tamias striatus), southern red-backed voles (clethrionomy ... | 1997 | 9157141 |
| lung parasites of shrews from pennsylvania. | we examined lung parasites of three species of soricids, sorex cinereus (n = 58), sorex fumeus (n = 23) and blarina brevicauda (n = 45) collected from pennsylvania (usa), from 1990 to 1995. yeast-like cells of hisfoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum were found in lung sections stained with grocott's modification of gomori's methenamine silver, periodic acid-schiff, giemsa, and hematoxylin-eosin in two (3%) s. cinereus, eight (35%) s. fumeus and two (4%) b. brevicauda. the number of spores of h. c ... | 1997 | 9131560 |
| chromosomal variation in the southern short-tailed shrew (blarina carolinensis). | chromosomal polymorphism was assessed in the southern short-tailed shrew (blarina carolinensis) using standard metaphase chromosome and g-banding techniques. twenty-one animals (11 males, 10 females) from the meeman biological station in shelby co., tennessee, were examined for diploid number. results showed diploid numbers of 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41 and fundamental numbers of 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45. no diploid numbers or fundamental numbers were unique to a specific collecting locality. th ... | 1996 | 8999000 |
| interspecific differences between small mammals as hosts of immature dermacentor variabilis (acari: ixodidae) and a model for detection of high risk areas of rocky mountain spotted fever. | fourteen species of small mammals were captured from july 1990 through august 1991 in tennessee, from which 1,217 immature dermacentor variabilis and 1 ixodes dentatus were collected. mammal species were given scores of importance (ts) as hosts to immature d. variabilis based on mean intensity and prevalence. the rice rat ranked the highest, with a ts = 5, followed by the golden mouse ts = 4, white-footed mouse ts = 3, pine vole ts = 2, cotton rat ts = 1, with the norway rat, house mouse, and sh ... | 1996 | 8885876 |
| ticks and fleas of shrews in appalachian georgia and north carolina. | ticks (acari: ixodidae) and fleas (insecta: siphonaptera) were recovered from 8 smoky shrews, sorex fumeus miller, and 9 northern short-tailed shrews, blarina brevicauda (say), trapped at elevations of 720-1,310 m in macon and jackson counties in western north carolina and union county in northern georgia from april 1994 to august 1995. the ticks ixodes angustus neumann and ixodes woodi bishopp, and the flea corrodopsylla curvata (rothschild), were recovered from smoky shrews. the same 2 tick sp ... | 1996 | 8691385 |
| the uptake and effects of lead in small mammals and frogs at a trap and skeet range. | this study was performed to evaluate the bioavailability and effects of lead in wildlife at a trap and skeet range. the total lead concentration in a composite soil sample (pellets removed) was 75,000 micrograms/g dry weight. elevated tissue lead concentrations and depressed alad activities in small mammals and frogs indicate that some of the lead deposited at the site is bioavailable. mean tissue lead concentrations (micrograms/g dry wt.) in white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) at the range ... | 1996 | 8593083 |
| fine structure of the submandibular salivary gland of the venomous short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda say (insectivora: soricidae). | adult male short-tailed shrews, blarina brevicauda, (insectivora: soricidae) were trapped in virginia and pennsylvania, anesthetized, and perfused via the left ventricle of the heart with fixative. the submandibular glands were dissected free and prepared for transmission electron microscopy. the lobular, compound tubuloacinar glands had secretory endpieces consisting of seromucous acini and serous tubules connected to intercalated ducts, granular ducts, striated ducts, and excretory ducts. the ... | 2006 | 8398545 |
| cardiac ultrastructure and electrocardiogram of the short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda. | the smaller species of shrews have been of considerable interest to scientists because of their high rate of metabolism, structure-functional and behavioral adaptations to support their energy demands. the present data are the first detailed cardiac ultrastructural findings and electrocardiographic (ecg) data of adult and immature small short-tailed shrews, blarina brevicauda. the heart is morphologically elongated and heart rates in excess of 900 b/min were observed, but ecg components and patt ... | 1993 | 8269404 |
| brevinema andersonii gen. nov., sp. nov., an infectious spirochete isolated from the short-tailed shrew (blarina brevicauda) and the white-footed mouse (peromyscus leucopus). | a spirochete which infects short-tailed shrews (blarina brevicauda) and white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) has been shown previously to be ultrastructurally and serologically distinct from other spirochetes. two of the original isolates from connecticut and minnesota and 16 new isolates obtained from shrews captured in minnesota were characterized phenotypically and genetically in this study. a comparative analysis of the 16s rrna sequences of two shrew isolates and one mouse isolate and th ... | 1995 | 7857811 |
| a new species of nearctopsylla rothschild 1915 (siphonaptera: hystrichopsyllidae) from the southern appalachians. | nearcyopsylla pfitzeri sp. n. is a parasite of the short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda, in the great smoky mountains. only two females have been collected, but they are clearly distinct from both the more northern n. genalis and the more southern n. georgiana. | 1980 | 7463255 |
| functional interpretations of the radiographic anatomy of the femora of myotis lucifugus, pipistrellus subflavus, and blarina brevicauda. | radiographs of right femora from 29 shrews (blarina brevicauda) and 51 bats (27 myotis lucifugus, 14 pipistrellus subflavus) were analyzed to determine if bone in these small mammals conformed to bassett's ('68) revision of wolff's law. five external and four cortical dimensions were made on enlargements of radiographs of each femur. comparative descriptions of the spongiosa are given. external dimensions appear to be determined genetically, and, in bats, are closely related to functional demand ... | 1980 | 7405858 |
| daily metabolic patterns of short-tailed shrews (blarina) in three natural seasonal temperature regimes. | 1980 | 7217790 | |
| the occurrence of a sporozoan in the myocardium of short-tailed shrew (blarina brevicauda). | 1981 | 6787216 | |
| common tree shrews and primates share leukocyte membrane antigens. | monoclonal antibodies reactive with human peripheral blood lymphocyte and myeloid cell surface antigens were utilized to study the phylogeny of the common tree shrew. blood cells from the common tree shrew, but not the bat or short-tailed shrew, react with certain of these antibodies. these data strengthen the argument that the tupaiidae are primitive primates rather than insectivores. they also indicate that this approach should be useful for further work in taxonomic systemization. | 1984 | 6334161 |
| [chromosome patterns and robertsonian polymorphism in blarina brevicauda (say) (mammalia: insectivora)]. | 1967 | 6070628 | |
| reproduction and age structure in a population of short-tailed shrews, blarina brevicauda. | 1968 | 5690510 | |
| dental abnormalities in the short-tailed shrew, blarina blevicauda. | 1968 | 5657267 | |
| mediorhynchus grandis in a short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda, from south dakota. | 1971 | 5133879 | |
| helminths of the short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda, in north carolina. | 1974 | 4833861 | |
| a reexamination of the chorioallantoic placental membrane of a shrew, blarina brevicauda: resolution of a controversy. | 1973 | 4747737 | |
| the effects of ddt on energetics of the short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda. | 1974 | 4433851 | |
| reproduction and survival of short-tailed shrews (blarina brevicauda) in captivity. | 1971 | 4332160 |